MCT Oil

I hear this is effective for burning fat. I also hear it is most effective on a ketogenic diet. When is the best time to take MCT’s for fat loss and should you be on a ketogenic diet for this to be most effective?

I started typing an answer, then googled it and found this,

“MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides. Most naturally occurring fats are triglycerides – tri meaning that each molecule have three carbon chains. MCT oils occur naturally, and the most abundant source is coconut oil. Most MCT oil is refined from coconut oil.

MCT oil is a clear light coloured liquid with no flavour and low viscosity. It is often sold in an emulsified form, which is easier to digest, in this case it looks like a white milky liquid.

MCT oil is interesting because, when it is metabolised in the body, it behaves rather more like a carbohydrate than a fat. The fuel of preference for the body is carbohydrate, and the body will use up its store of carbohydrate before using other fuels. Carbohydrates are quick acting – athletes take glucose tablets to provide energy, the body heats rapidly when we drink alcohol – typically carbohydrates will be used within a few hours of eating, which is why we eat so frequently. By contrast, the primary role of fats is to store energy – animals fatten up to prepare for the rigor of winter. The body normally tries to store the fats we eat, but will use them as fuel if there is not enough available from carbohydrates; first it will use the fats in the food, and if these are insufficient it will start to deplete the fat storage in our body tissue. Fats metabolise more slowly and typically it will take a day or so for the fat content of food to be used. That is why we feel full after a fatty meal, and why it really is a good thing to line to stomach with milk before drinking – the fat slows down the metabolism of the alcohol.